Papercut
by Kagha
Summary: Songfic / Ayrh and Inferna are two Matoran who couldn't be more different - but their similarities are shown in their insecurity, fear, and hatred of the nightmares they live in. Orig. post date: 16/3/09
1. Ayrh

**AYRH**

_Why does it feel like night today?  
>Something in here's not right today<em>

Smoke drifted up from the wreckage of a crashed airship, and ribs of scorched metal scattered on the beach and jutted above the water, the last remnants of what was once a hull. Fires licked at couches, carpets, desks and tables; anything flammable that was left, trying but failing to latch on to the smooth plates of metal. A cloud hung over the sky, despite it being noon, and behind the edges of it, the twin suns were dim. 

A ruin of metal and stone shifted, creating an eerie creaking sound that filled the air. A sullied, battered Matoran body crept out from beneath the debris and groaned. Streaks of mud and dirt caked onto its armor, and flecks of green could be seen beneath the dirtiness. 

The Le-Matoran, Ayrh, pulled himself to his feet and walked up the beach, dragging along a pair of heavy gauntlets by a rope. He got to the summit of the beach, feeling a spark of hope that he had found someplace where he could belong, and gain new knowledge of things after his time in the Makuta's lab... he opened his mouth, ready to scream his jubilations, but when he reached the top, all he saw was destruction. 

Shattered windows and bloodstains everywhere. A multi-legged transport lay flipped over on the street, the torn body of a kavinika impaled on its blunt leg.

_Why am I so uptight today?  
>Paranoia's all I got left<em>

But instead of a reaction of shock, the features of Ayrh's mask pulled together in a deep scowl. "Why?" he screamed, throwing the rope down and falling to his knees. He'd left the isle of the Makuta and traversed the skies seeking a place of hope, of peace. But perhaps there was no peace left. Did war take everywhere? 

"Who did this?" Ayrh snarled under his breath. "Ignas? His 'Brotherhood'? Did they do it?" 

Dark thoughts and urges swam through his mind... a ray of anger was most prominent... in the background, he could hear pleading. Emotions clashed, different mindsets battling there. Ayrh shook his head and turned to the gauntlets. Fine pieces of technology he'd taken along with him. He slipped them over his forearms and treaded with a new determination burning within him. The culprit would pay.

_I don't know what stressed me first  
>Or how the pressure was fed<em>

Ayrh fumed through the streets of a dark, destroyed city that once would've had a beautiful brown-green glow. Cables and chutes were broken and scattered. Transports smashed to bits, dead Matoran all with puncture holes in their necks littered everywhere. 

Ayrh was angry. Very, very angry. Not all because of the state of this city; he barely knew what this city was. He'd had this burning anger ever since he was first fully conscious in the Makuta's claws. Why was he so angry? Shouldn't the Makuta have put some kind of twisted impression on him to null the hate he would have for him at the end? Ayrh didn't know. He didn't care. But so far, everything he'd seen and been through only fueled his anger.

_But I know just what it feels like  
>To have a voice in the back of my head<em>

A rustle. Ayrh whipped to the right and shot a blast of force from his gauntlet, Burrower Drill in title. The rock shattered to reveal a Matoran crouching there. Or at least, he thought it was a Matoran. Sick red eyes, bloodstained fangs, sharp claws... it was a monster. 

A vampire, Ayrh realized. What was this vampire doing here? Was it the culprit? Should he kill it? Of course he should kill it! It had caused all this destruction, all this death. But maybe it wasn't the culprit? Were there others? Did it deserve to die? Was it doing this of its own will, or manipulated or cursed in some way? He shouldn't kill it. Should he? Yes he should. No, he shouldn't. 

"Ahhh," Ayrh moaned, forgetting the vamp in front and reaching up to clutch his head. It hurt, all these thoughts, all these urges and notions. It was like there was a hundred different beings in the back of his head, killing him with their arguments.

_Like a face that I hold inside  
>A face that awakes when I close my eyes<em>

A dark, sick presence lingered in his mind. It grew strong, oh so strong, as he shut his eyes and entered his mind, like he was basking in its aura. It hurt him. 

He opened his eyes to see the vamp staring curiously at him. Ayrh immediately stopped, trying to make himself look strong and not easy game for the monster.

_A face watches every time I lie  
>A face that laughs every time I fall<em>

The vampire opened its fanged mouth, and let out a shrill. It was so powerful that it seemed to rip through Ayrh's mind, blotting out his thoughts, and he fell. But the presence remained, the urges and notions, and they seemed to mock his incompetence.

_(And watches everything)_

_So I know that when it's time to sink or swim  
>That the face inside is hearing me<em>

_Shut up!_ Ayrh told the thoughts that rippled in his head. But they did not relent. He felt searing anger swell up from them, hatred for the monster before him. He reached out and shot blasts of force alternately from his Burrower Drills. The vamp dodged most but was hit by two of the shots. Ayrh ran towards the vamp and overwhelmed it with a barrage of punches. Cornering it to the wall, he slammed his fist into its stomach and made it scream. Nothing but fury and rage and disdain ran through his veins. He knew that it only fueled the urges in his head. He didn't care.

_Right beneath my skin_

The vamp rolled to the side and avoided a fist to the face. Instead, Ayrh's balled hand created a hole in the stone. It looked at him with a whimpering expression and scampered off on all fours like a Rahi. Ayrh didn't give chase. He stood there, gasping, trying to compose himself.

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
>It's like a whirlwind inside of my head<br>_  
>The voices came again. He squeezed his eyes shut. <em>No! No, shut up!<em> 

A rustle. 

Ayrh swung around instantly and shot a burst of force. The source of the noise, a big stone bench, exploded into bits. But there was nothing behind it. Looking up, Ayrh saw that the noise had just come from a tree branch in whatever breeze there was. He let his shoulders slump. 

_Stupid._

Ayrh's face clenched and he fell to the ground out of mental pain. There were dark thoughts, and more dark thoughts, and then furious thoughts that made no more sense than to be angry, and then reasonable thoughts, and then "good" thoughts that fought with the dark thoughts. It was like a cyclone inside his very head. It was sheer pain.

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
>It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin<em>

Ayrh yelled in pain, not stopping until his lungs ran out of air. He collapsed to the ground, wallowing in the agony that encompassed him. Was this Makuta Ignas? Or his impression? No. It was something different. It was part of him, as excruciating as it may be. 

Another bombardment made Ayrh jolt. He clutched the ground weakly, and now crawled cross the road. He had to get somewhere safe, so he could settle down, and quick.

_I know I've got a face in me__  
>Points out all my mistakes to me<em>

Ayrh walked through the Metru of Fire, trying to contain the rage that boiled within him with every forge and flame he saw. Makuta Ignas loved fire. Ayrh hated Makuta Ignas. Ayrh hated fire. 

But why? It was irrational. Just because his lunatic captor happened to be crimson and had a fondness for flames, doesn't mean he had to go around hating the thing. It was, after all, a force of nature. 

Shut up. 

Who was he talking to? 

Ayrh gritted his teeth. These urges. This dark sense of his... 

_His? They don't only belong to you. I demand some credit._  
>Ayrh scowled. Lyranix. His mind was shared between him and Lyranix, and their clashing feelings and thoughts had caused Ayrh great pain weeks before, when he'd first come onto Metru Nui. <p>

_Not only mine and yours,_ Lyranix reminded him, _Gefka's, Kolum's, and a Muaka's._

_Doesn't matter,_ Ayrh thought angrily. _They were overwhelmed and perished. Why should I give them credit too?_

_Because even if they're dead, they still took part. What you're doing is ignoring the fact._

_I wish you would shut up._

_But-_

SHUT UP.

_You've got a face on the inside too and  
>Your paranoia's probably worse<em>

Vampires. They had what Ayrh had; those dark urges, that mental and emotional agony. They probably had it worse that he did. He felt sorry for them. 

Sorry? For those disgusting monsters? 

Was that Lyranix? 

No. That was him. The vampires were insufferable. And they needed to pay. 

Ayrh walked through the gates of Igni-Koro, Village of Life. He would assist them, and get rid of the plague of vamps with them. He hoped.

_I don't know what set me off first  
>But I know what I can't stand<em>

The gold-blue Matoran stared at him. Akui, leader of the Matoran, looked utterly petrified. Ayrh frowned. 

"Speak with Pohatu Nuva," she said finally. "He'll know what to do." 

Ayrh walked off. He had to admit, he'd been really disappointed by the Matorans' reactions upon his entrance into Igni-Koro. But this? This was incredibly stupid and unreasonable.

_Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is  
>I can't add up to what you can but<em>

They acted like he was a freak. Why? Because he had a voice inside his head and he had insane powers. But mostly the former. Ayrh gritted his teeth. _This is prejudice and stupidity,_he thought. They treated him like some kind of monster. Please! He'd seen a Skakdi in these walls. And _he_ was a monster?

_Everybody has a face that they hold inside  
>A face that awakes when I close my eyes<em>

Ignorance. That's what it was. He was no more a "freak" than every single last cursed Matoran in the island. Everybody had what he had. Opposition of emotion was a natural thing, and it helped keep balance, and reason. Sometimes it went below reasoning though. But everyone had it, that little voice inside their head commenting on their every move, their every thought, that voice that filled your mind.

_A face watches every time they lie  
>A face that laughs every time they fall<em>

Every time one being deceived another, or deceived themselves, there was always that hint of mentality that protested and retained. Always. There was always that ironic feel every time you made a mistake. Every being had it. 

_Only on a much smaller scale,_ Lyranix butted in. _Every Matoran does not share thoughts with another being._

_You get what I mean,_ Ayrh snapped, _so shut up and stop being a pain._

_(And watches everything)_

_So you know that when it's time to sink or swim  
>That the face inside is watching you too<em>

Ayrh left Igni-Koro and spat on the ground. What a waste of time. Why did he even think they would welcome him? They disgusted him as much as the vamps did. 

_Are you going to stand here all day wallowing in your rejection,_ Lyranix snapped, _or are we going to go back home?_

Ayrh blinked. He'd forgotten for a second Lyranix was there. 

_I am always here._

_Right inside your skin_

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
>It's like a whirlwind inside of my head<em>

Ayrh stepped into the cavern that was his home and gasped. His desk was thrashed, broken vases were on the floor, and scrapings from claws marked the walls and floor. Ayrh clenched his teeth to keep himself from yelling. Vamps. 

_No, really?_

Urges. Dark notions. It'd been so long since he'd had them. Ayrh noticed a crevice in the corner where the vamp must've escaped through. He didn't hold back this time. He screamed and burst the crevice open a good two more bio with a blast. In the newly made hole, he stomped through. It was a long winding corridor he found himself in, but he didn't stop, he wouldn't stop until he found the vamp behind this, and slew him. 

The hall opened up into a wide chamber. Ayrh stepped in and looked around. A whoosh of air above, and Ayrh looked up – too late. The vamp landed on him and gouged his shoulder. Ayrh bit back a scream and rolled over to avoid a second clawing. He got onto his feet and glared at the vamp. Then his eyes widened. This was the very same vampire he'd encountered when he first arrived here in Metru Nui. 

"I've been waiting for this," the vamp hissed, lolling his forked tongue out and in. "Now, I will take revenge."

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
>It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin<em>

Anger, anger. Rage, rend. Rend, kill. Shoot, blast, kick, rend. Rage. Anger. 

These were the words that ran through Ayrh's mind as he fought the vamp. It was a tied battle so far, with both opponents wounded mildly and filled with hatred for one another. The vamp was skilled and driven by a deadly mixture of bloodlust and revenge. Ayrh was driven by his hatred of vamps and the dark urges that flowed through him. They clashed for hours, never tiring. 

Finally, the vamp saw an opening and cleaved at Ayrh's side. He screamed and fell back.

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
>It's like a whirlwind inside of my head<em>

Defeat. Defeat? Never. Fight. Must fight. Must win. Must destroy. 

"AAAHHHH!" Ayrh sprung up to his feet and sent massive blasts of force towards the vamp. They were so giant and powerful, the entire cavern rocked. Great amounts of energy drained from Ayrh, but he didn't notice neither did he care. All he wanted to do was to win, and to defeat this vamp. He must. He must.

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
>It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin<em>

Nothing else. Nothing more. Just blast. Just blast, win, and destroy. Blast, win, destroy. Blast, win, destroy. The words transferred from his heart to his body, and rage bubbled right underneath his armor.

_The face inside is right beneath your skin_

Blast.

_The face inside is right beneath your skin_

Win.

_The face inside is right beneath your skin_

Destroy.

_The sun goes down  
>I feel the light betray me<em>

Gone. The vamp was gone. Ayrh blinked, for a moment getting out of the frenzy he was in. There was a hole in the ceiling. Snarling, he leapt up the wall and through the hole. The calming sands of Po-Metru greeted him. Over the horizon, only a sliver of orange was the sun. It was evening. 

Ayrh looked around. Twelve vamps surrounded him. Among them was the one he'd just been fighting. 

"Karzahni."

_The sun goes down  
>I feel the light betray me<em>

"You said he has unusual powers?" one vamp hissed. 

"I have the bruises to prove it." Ayrh's previous opponent replied. 

"What do we do with him?" 

"Kill him and divide his parts to the gang." 

"Simple enough."

_The sun  
>I feel the light betray me<em>

The sun. There was no more sun. The vampires were free to roam the desert. Ayrh felt suddenly squeamish. He stepped back, but the crumble of stone reminded him of the hole. 

"Curse it."

_The sun  
>I feel the light betray me<em>

A blast of light. That was what Ayrh did. He heard a sizzle, and then a frantic scream. A dozen vamps charged him, shouting with rage and hunger. Ayrh shot beams of light, darts, blasts, anything... he meant to shoot again, but nothing came out. He was drained of energy, and felt tired already. Two vamps jumped onto him and pushed him into the ground. 

_Is this the end?_

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
>It's like a whirlwind inside of my head<em>

Sadness. Defeat. Defeat? Defeat? No. Couldn't be. Helpless. No. Impossible. Angry. Angry. Rage. Anger. Fight back. Fight back. Pain. Pain. Impact. Determination. Frustration. Anger. Fight. Blast. Claw. Win. Win. Must win. Must win. Must. Must. Must!

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
>It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin<em>

Fight. Fight! Anger. Anger. Rage. Pain. Impact. Pain. Pain. Rage. Pain. Impact. Fight. Fight. Blast. Fight. Kick. Fight.

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
>It's like a whirlwind inside of my head<em>

Pain. Impact. Weak. Weak. Can't fight. Must fight. Can't! Must! No. Yes. Blast. Kick. Fight. Anger. Weakness. Anger! Anger! Not anger. Anger! Rage! Fight!

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within_

Fight.

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within_

Fight.

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within_

Victory. Victory? Not victory. Yes, victory. Partial victory. Enemy flees. Enemy flees.

_It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin_

Pain. Impact. Weakness. Tired. Hurting. Tired. Pain. Weakness. Hurting. Pain. Hurting. Groggy. Tired. Tired... tired... sleep.


	2. Inferna

**INFERNA**

_Why does it feel like night today?  
>Something in here's not right today<em>

A cold wind took Po-Metru. Clouds filled the sky above the golden desert, and two suns hung dim in the air. At least, they seemed to be suns. Or were they moons? 

Inferna ground her teeth in indecision. She could've said it was daytime just before. Unless she'd lost track of time. But how could've she lost track of time? And why would she possibly be out in the daylight? _This is impossible,_ the vampire thought to herself, frowning tightly. She crept behind a sand dune and sniffed the air, searching for the scent of the Kane-Ra she'd been hunting. When she tasted the scents, she realized that they were already half a kio across the valley. She scowled inwardly; how had she lost track of their trail?

_Why am I so uptight today?  
>Paranoia's all I got left<em>

Inferna quickly drifted among the dunes that rose and fall across the edge of the valley like a specter, closing in the distance between her and the pack of bulls. She hadn't fed in a day now, and she was extremely thirsty. She wouldn't let her prey get away now. 

The crimson vampire crouched behind a boulder and stared down at the grazing Kane-Ra, waiting for an opening. So far, the beasts were scattered apart, and a good amount of them were not relaxing but rather swinging their heads around vigilantly. Inferna rolled her eyes. _They're Rahi,_ she thought, _do they have to be such a cursed bother?_

A crackling sound, and Inferna swung around, and if her heartlight was still active, it would've skipped a flash. But nothing in the radius of a few kio could've emanated the sound. She saw no crushed rocks, no intruding being, no collapsed sand dune, nothing. _Maybe I'm just hallucinating._

_I don't know what stressed me first  
>Or how the pressure was fed<em>

When she turned back, the herd was now on the run again, and already a good distance away. "Curses!" she snapped, and broke out into chase. She didn't care; she was tired of waiting. She would feed tonight, no matter what.

_But I know just what it feels like  
>To have a voice in the back of my head<em>

_This is futile,_ she thought, and then blinked at that notion. She didn't give up her chase though. She sprung into the air and slashed at the nearest Kane-Ra, but the bull narrowly avoided the strike. She clenched her teeth and hissed in frustration. 

_Why are you wasting your time, stressing yourself so much just to get a measly meal of Rahi blood,_ the thought filled her mind, _when you can hunt Matoran? There's plenty of game._

"No." Inferna said. 

_Or better yet, join King._

"No."

_Like a face that I hold inside  
>A face that awakes when I close my eyes<em>

Inferna gave up the chase and clenched her fists, fighting against the voice – was it her own, or Kings? – that played in her head. She found a rock overhanging and curled herself up there, almost like a crying child. She shut her eyes, but that did nothing to shut up the voices. In fact, they seemed to amplify them.

_A face watches every time I lie  
>A face that laughs every time I fall<em>

Two red eyes that were not her own watched from afar, staring down with twisted amusement. Inferna felt sickened by them. She would not let them get to her. "I refuse to become a manic killing machine," she spoke her protest, but wasn't sure whether it came out a defiant shout or a reassuring whisper. "I do not need King. I do not need the evil he brings." 

_Ha!_ came the answer. _Face it. You are evil in all that you do. You hunt Rahi. You stalk in the night like a predator. You are a monster to the Matoran._

_(And watches everything)_

_So I know that when it's time to sink or swim  
>That the face inside is hearing me<em>

Inferna managed a smile. She opened her mouth and let out a mocking laugh. "I hate you." 

_Excellent. Now go feed; you'll need it._  
>Inferna frowned. What did he mean by that? The voices ended. Inferna sniffed; there was a scent on the air. Matoran. And... Inferna sniffed again, and felt cold to her core. Matoran blood.<p>

_Right beneath my skin_

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
>It's like a whirlwind inside of my head<em>

Inferna got up, resolving that she would not harm the Matoran nearby. The smell of blood was appealing, oh so appealing, but she had made a realization long ago, and she vowed she would not hurt any more Matoran. 

_Stupid._

Inferna whirled around, shocked at the resurface of the voice. She steeled herself against it, and continued pressing away from the smell of Matoran. Her hunger made her sluggish. Why was she moving away from a perfectly good meal? One of the Matoran had already cut themselves by the smell of it, which made it all the more enticing. _I will not._

For what reason? What did Matoran mean to her? Nothing. She was a new being now. She was meant to hunt Matoran. 

_No. I am a monster, not a new being, I-_ she stopped, feeling suddenly cold. _I'm a monster...? Was that me?_

Yes. It was. She was a monster, and there was no sense in trying not to be what she already was. There was no sense in not killing the Matoran now, for she would some other day. 

Inferna shook her head against the frenzy of thoughts and emotions and reached up to cover her ears tightly, not that it did anything to help.

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
>It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin<em>

She hadn't eaten for a day. She needed blood. She failed in hunting the Kane-Ra, and here was open, easy prey, right before her nose. All she had to do was snatch it up. 

_I will not,_ Inferna kept saying, _I will not. I will not._ "I will not!"

_I know I've got a face in me  
>Points out all my mistakes to me<em>

Inferna blinked. The shout she'd just made would've surely attracted the attention of the Matoran. She heard their footsteps as they tried to sneak up the hill to investigate. 

_Imbeciles. Don't they know I have acute hearing?_  
>Inferna hid behind a boulder. Not so much out of fear of the Matoran, but out of fear that when she saw them, she would be too tempted to resist slaying them. <p>

_You're wasting time, my girl._

_Ha._ Inferna grimaced. _For a King, you're awfully pathetic._

_You've got a face on the inside too and  
>Your paranoia's probably worse<em>

Inferna clenched her teeth as the Matoran, four of them, slowly approached from behind. _This is insane,_ she thought. _They're hunting me like a dog. It's disgusting for them to prejudge, when I'm not even with the Kingdom._ But she knew why they were so paranoid. She knew, but wasn't sure she liked it. _If I were with King, I'd have a gang of vampires with me. Couldn't they just go away? Do they have to see every vamp as just a thing to exterminate? Some of us are different. We are doing what we need to do. Matoran are no different. They all have urges, too, and make irrational decisions. But just as they eat bula because they need to survive, so do I drink Rahi blood._

_I don't know what set me off first  
>But I know what I can't stand<em>

"Come out," a Matoran called. "We know you're there." 

Inferna scowled. _You ignorant little snob,_ she thought, _don't you know I'm trying_ not _to hurt you right now?_

_Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is  
>I can't add up to what you can but<em>

"Come out now, vampire," the Matoran shouted, "or do you want us to go in there and kill you right now?" 

Inferna felt her fist clench. She was growing impatient. A long moment passed, and the vampire slipped out from behind the rock. She stared pointedly at the lead Matoran, who, to his credit, did not cringe. "Leave." She said. "Now."

_Everybody has a face that they hold inside  
>A face that awakes when I close my eyes<em>

Apparently, the Matoran had other ideas. With a mighty fling, he sent his dagger at her. Inferna rolled her eyes and dodged easily. The blade wedged itself into the sand. She hissed. "Go now, before you get hurt!" 

"Not until you're dead!"  
>Inferna dodged another dagger, and tensed herself as the four Matoran charged. In a way, these Matoran were just like her. Like she had been tempted to drink their blood, so were they to take her head. Why? Because they both going by the way of things, and put out by the twisted King. All vampires were disgusting, terrorizing beasts that needed to be killed on sight. And all Matoran were obstructions, and sources of food. <em>Only,<em> she said as she dodged a slash, _I tried to avoid killing these imbeciles._

_A face watches every time they lie  
>A face that laughs every time they fall<em>

Inferna shot forward and brought the lead Matoran down with a swift blow. _That's it. These Gukko-brains brought this on themselves._

_(And watches everything)_

_So you know that when it's time to sink or swim  
>That the face inside is watching you too<em>

Inferna swallowed hard as she felled the next Matoran. She knew they had brought this on themselves, but still didn't want to kill them. Why? Was it just her defiance to King? _If I kill these Matoran, then I'll be doing exactly what he wants me to do._

A chuckle inside her head. 

_See? You really don't care whether these Matoran live or die, you just want to defy me. You are fooling yourself, Inferna._

_Right inside your skin_

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
>It's like a whirlwind inside of my head<br>_  
>Inferna stopped. King was right. She didn't care what happened to the Matoran, she just wanted to distance herself from Kings perspective and his laws. And in that, she was fooling herself. <em>Rubbish!<em> she protested. _I didn't want to harm these Matoran. But it's their fault they attacked me, so I will not take shame in defending myself._

_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
>It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin<em>

_Face it, Inferna,_ King hummed, _you are no better than me._  
>Inferna stumbled back. "No, not true," she hissed. She was caught off guard, and the last remaining Matoran, a Ko-Matoran, slammed the flat of his blade into her head. She was thrown to the ground.<p>

_The face inside is right beneath your skin_

Inferna sucked her teeth and rolled over to avoid a slash from the Ko-Matoran. _Go on,_ King said, _kill him. You know it's what you want to do. You need to do._

_The face inside is right beneath your skin_

"You're sick," Inferna said aloud, though it was directed to King.

_The face inside is right beneath your skin_

She sprung up, caught the Matoran's wrist before he could strike again, and grasped the blade from his hand. She threw it far away into the sand, and stared him in the eye. "Last chance. Leave." 

He shivered, his expression became one of sheer fright, and he turned and sprinted away.

_The sun goes down  
>I feel the light betray me<em>

Silence at last. Inferna walked away, ignoring the unconscious Matoran on the ground. They weren't dead, she had avoided killing them. But she still wondered whether it was because she didn't want to be a monster, or because she wanted to do everything just to tick King off. If the latter was true, then she really was a monster, and was no better than King himself.

_The sun goes down  
>I feel the light betray me<em>

She felt strangely empty as she treaded back to her cave. She would have to feed tomorrow night. She would not be hunting anything successfully tonight.


End file.
